lau Race the Loser / Ghosts EP (180g vinyl double LP + CD, £23.95)

label: Diverse Records

Lau are modern folk music’s most innovative band. Brilliant musicians, thrilling performers and free-thinking visionaries. In 2007 their debut album ‘Lightweights and Gentlemen’ mixed original tunes with inspired arrangements of traditional material and rocketed Lau to the fore of the burgeoning new folk scene, soon followed by a staggering onslaught of awards that includes an unprecedented three consecutive wins as Best Group at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
Having dramatically cemented their reputation as a blistering stage act, Lau followed their debut with the much loved ‘Lau Live’ album just a year later and in 2009 came the equally acclaimed ‘Arc Light”, with a grander setting that produced a heavily played single ‘Winter Moon’ and an invitation from Mojo Magazine to cover The Beatles ‘Dear Prudence’ for their ‘White Album’ celebrations.
Cue more awards, triumphant international touring, a proud catalogue of stomping festival appearances, splinter bands, solo recordings and a string of intriguing recent collaborations with rock legend Jack Bruce (Cream) Karine Polwart, Adem and a vast new orchestral work ‘Strange Attractors’ with composer Brian Irvine and The Northern Sinfonia.
Their new album ‘Race The Loser’ was recorded with American producer Tucker Martine (Sufjan Stevens, The Decemberists, R.E.M., Laura Veirs) in Scotland throughout the Spring of 2012. It pushes Lau’s complex, yet accessible sound, even further to the outer reaches of folk music whilst retaining all the strengths of the original acoustic trio (Kris Drever Vocals/Guitar, Martin Green Accordion, Aidan O’Rourke Fiddle).
‘Race The Loser’ features Lau’s best, most universal and significant music yet, the sound of three exceptionally talented friends embracing with open arms yet another new chapter of what has already been an extraordinary musical journey.
The deluxe vinyl version includes ‘Ghosts’, Lau’s collaborative EP with Adem and a CD of ‘Race The Loser’.
LP 1: Saint Monday / Far From Portland / The Bird That Winds The Spring / Missing Pieces / Save The Bees / Torsa / Throwing Pennies / Noltland Castle / Beer Engineer
LP 2: Farewell To Whisky Chess / Imporsa / Ghosts / Happy Sevens / Mr Timony / Jargonaut / Last Ghost Alive